Peach Jam: Takeaways from Friday's action in Atlanta

NORTH AUGUSTA, S.C. — The field may be narrowing, but the 2022 Peach Jam rolled into Friday still showcasing top prospects in the classes of 2023, 2025 and 2025. Rivals.com’s Rob Cassidy was on hand for the entire day and shares some of the news that emerged from the event below.

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MORE PEACH JAM: Thursday's takeaways | Wednesday's takeaways | Takeaways from the beginning of the event

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Rutgers, of course, has a bit of a head-start in the Dylan Harper sweepstakes.

The four-star guard’s brother, Ron Harper Jr., became a star at the school before landing in the NBA, and the bonds that situation has created are obviously notable. So, on Friday, when Harper was asked which college staff he feels closest with as things stand, the answer wasn’t exactly a shock.

“Probably Rutgers,” he said.

Rutgers, as it turns out, also represents the only visit currently on Harper's schedule, as he plans to tour campus in August. It’s early, sure, but the Scarlet Knights have to love the early position in which they've found themselves.

“It’s a great program obviously,” Harper said of Rutgers. "They get everyone to buy in. [Steve Pikiell] is a great coach. He turned that program from zero to 100. He really makes stuff happen."

Holding off big predators won’t be easy, however. Programs such as Duke, Kansas, Indiana, Texas Tech are also in contact. KU, Texas Tech and Indiana have already offered. Meanwhile, Kentucky and Duke both attended Harper’s most recent game at Peach Jam. If the Scarlet Knights are to win this battle, they won’t do so without a brawl.

“With Duke, they always check up on me,” Harper said. "They want to make sure I’m good and check up on me. It’s a good relationship.”

Class of 2025 forward Cameron Boozer is the son of Duke legend Carlos Boozer. And while he and his twin brother Cayden are already being pursued by the Blue Devils, he hasn’t actually been to Durham since he was in 4th grade.

That will of course change in the year ahead, as the Blue Devils have already offered the twins and are the presumed early favorites to land their commitments. Multiple Duke coaches watched from the sidelines on Friday, as Boozer scored 20 points and solidly outplayed fellow class of 2025 mega-prospect Cooper Flagg and had to like what they saw from their courtside seats.

“I don’t know [the staff] that well yet,” Boozer said of Duke. "I just know the culture and the way they develop players. My dad talks about it. My mom talks about it. Everyone talks about it. It’s a real thing. They really take care of their players out there.”

Michigan, Florida State and Miami have also already offered Boozer, who took an unofficial visit to Florida State earlier this year.

There are few hotter prospects in America than 2023 prospect T.J. Power of the BABC Grassroots program. The 6-foot-7 forward has attracted attention from Duke, North Carolina, Kansas, UCLA, Ohio State and others this summer. He plans to look into his new offers in the coming weeks and re-evaluate where his recruitment stands.

“I told everyone I would start setting up visits when I get back [from Peach Jam],” Power said on Friday. “They are giving me space for now. When I get home, I’ll set visits.”

Power has already taken official visits to Virginia, Iowa and Notre Dame. And while he declined to say which additional trips he’ll take down the road, both Duke and Kansas seem like good bets.

“I’m thinking about a Kansas visit for sure,” Power said. “I’ve been talking to coach Roberts for pretty much the whole summer,” Power said. "I talked to coach [Bill] Self a couple times recently and really like the caliber of players they have. They’re really tough kids that play really hard.”

Notre Dame head coach Mike Brey was among those courtside watching Power at Peach Jam, and Notre Dame is thought to be among the leaders as things stand. Holding off blueblood newcomers will be a tall task for the Irish, but there’s reason to believe they’re up to the task.

“Me and Coach Mike Brey have a great relationship and the academic side of it is big, too,” Power said of Notre Dame. "I like the style they play. They really share the ball and have a lot of shooters that can space the floor.”

Bronny James’ name recognition filled the gym to capacity for a 10:30 a.m. tip on Friday morning, but it was Cody Williams that managed to steal the show playing for Vegas Elite against James’ Strive For Greatness squad.

Currently the No. 51 prospect in the 2023 Rivals150, Williams is constantly outplaying his ranking and did so again on Friday, looking quicker, stronger and more capable of knocking down 3-pointers on his way to a 23-point, 10-rebound performance that saw him take over for long stretches.

Following the game, Williams, whose ranking is sure to improve soon, said UCLA, Arizona, Arizona State and LSU and others are all involved in his recruitment and are in the running to get visits in the months ahead.

“Arizona State and UCLA have been hitting me up a lot, but there are more schools coming in, so I really don’t know about visits,” Williams said. “I’ll figure that out soon.”